By local contributor
Christina Barrueta
Scottsdale has never been shy about putting on a show, and the same goes for its cocktail culture. Beyond balanced pours and handmade ingredients, these drinks double as entertainment, whether they’re swirling with smoke or arriving in glassware too pretty not to photograph. From tableside martini carts to flaming finales, here are seven spots that deliver flavor with a flourish.
Toca Madera leans into its reputation for buzzy nightlife energy with cocktails designed to turn heads. Go sultry with the Papasito where a union of cinnamon-apple-infused Maker’s Mark and Mexican-spiced syrup is delivered in a haze of applewood smoke or cool down with Como La Flor accenting blanco tequila and sherry with guava and coconut and a presentation that releases a rose-scented mist across your table.
Mixologist Justin Chard matches chef Cory Oppold's culinary creativity with edible garnishes that are part of COURSE’s unique dining experience. Among the ever-changing cocktail list, look for standouts like Loose Seal topped with a spoon of mint tea gel dusted with dried mango powder, Milford Man capped with an airy foam of coconut and tingly buzz button flower tincture, or Bob Loblaw's Law Blog decorated with a unique fortune cookie made with lychee puree.
At this elegant Italian restaurant, summon martinis with a secret. Insiders know to tap their table lamp to flip the glow from soft white to red to cue your bartender to roll up with a gleaming cart. Choose from seven pours, from the classic simplicity of Your Perfect Martini to the cucumber-mint-laced Cucumber & Chill. Or splurge on Get Your Sexy On for Chopin Family Reserve vodka and vermouth poured into Italian pewter and served with a tin of caviar.
At this hotspot with its namesake glowing onyx bar and panoramic Sonoran Desert views, Dean Cabeza keeps the smoke rolling with a signature cocktail that changes with the seasons. For his newest creation, a glass cloche unveils an aromatic billow for The Spiced Trail, built on Woodford Reserve layered with mesquite honey, maple syrup, allspice, star anise and a hint of Controne pepper heat to capture autumn in the desert.
Classic meets chemistry at Mastro’s City Hall, where Lemon Drops and Cosmopolitans are poured in a bubbling cloud of dry ice smoke. Your martini glass will be prepped with the ice, then filled tableside from a shaker. As a bonus, the shaker sticks around as a sidecar with the rest of your drink. Let the fog drift off and take an icy sip for drama with a dash of science.
La Hacienda doesn’t just serve dessert, it sets it on fire. The signature Café de Fuego is a boozy coffee built to impress and is mixed tableside with options like blanco tequila and 1921 Crema tequila cream liqueur or Bailey's Irish cream and Frangelico. Once your drink is lit on fire, the server sprinkles cinnamon into the flame so sparks shoot skyward like tiny fireworks before it’s garnished with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Richard Allison knows that presentation is half the fun, so look for cocktails to arrive in whimsical vessels like jellyfish, flamingoes and smoke-filled treasure chests. Take the Mango Oracle, a luxe mix of Clase Azul Añejo and sherry bolstered by the tropical flavors of coconut, mango and allspice dram. Served in a sparkling mango-shaped glass imported from Spain with an accompanying “potion” of Grand Marnier Louis Alexandre, it proves that the glassware can be as memorable as the drink.